Remember the Good Times in the Midst of Bad Ones

“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.” (Ps 137:5 AV)

The context is a psalm of remembrance while dwelling under captivity to Babylon.  The writer tells us that their captives require songs of mirth with Israel and Jerusalem as its theme.  He finds this difficult because he misses Jerusalem so much. A song of lamentation would be easier.  A song of mirth, not so much.  What he is afraid of is the circumstances of their sin would rob them of tender memories of Jerusalem.  In turn, they would forget how to play the music of joy with home as its theme.  He is worried that if he forgets the blessings of Jerusalem while under the hand of God’s correction, he will forget how much of a joy it can be to walk with God in obedience.

We can become so overwhelmed with trials of life or correction from God that we forget what it is like to walk in the light of God.  We forget what it is like to walk in spiritual health.  When that happens, we resign to our circumstances and lose the joy of the LORD.  Forgetting the joy of the LORD is our Psalmists deepest fear.  One of the ways to retain it is to remember.  Remember the day of your salvation.  Remember the days of re-dedication.  Remember the days of joyful service.  Remember the days of confession and reconciliation.  Remember those special days of meditation upon God’s word when He spoke to You so clearly and dearly.  Remember those days of great preaching services.  Remember those days of deep prayer when it seemed the universe didn’t exist and more and it was just you and the LORD.  Remember the days of your spiritual youth when everything was a wonder.  Remember those days of miraculous answers to prayer.  Remember the tender mercies of God.

When we look upon our lives, they are marked with difficult times.  Some of those difficult times were self-inflicted.  God has to deal with those choices, otherwise, He would not love us.  It is in those times when we have to remember our Jerusalem.  We have to recall all those times when we did please the LORD and He blessed us for it.  Those times are far more frequent.  Those time are the sustaining times.  Remember!